AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County leaders had hoped to have Hurricane Helene debris picked up by now, but they’re shooting for late March at this point.

Crews have picked up more than 2.9 million cubic yards of debris – roughly the same amount as neighboring Columbia County.

That’s enough to fill up the Empire State Building twice and fill up 100 Olympic-size pools.

They’re looking forward to warmer weather coming up so they can increase the total.

Right after Helene tore through the CSRA on Sept. 27, officials told residents to pile vegetation debris along the curb, and trucks would pick it up. The pledge was that crews would visit every street in the county two or possibly three times.

The goal was also to get all the work done in 90 days because that was the deadline for the federal government to cover the full cost of the cleanup.

We blew past that deadline, and it was extended.

And although crews won’t even make the extended deadline, they’re already planning the final pass in some parts of the county.

“Final pass is all up in the northern part of the county, basically the District 7, District 1 areas of the northern part of the county,” said Steve Cassell, an Augusta debris consultant.

But for other areas, the work is just getting started.

“You go in a neighborhood and one street has a lot of debris, and another street has nothing,” said Cassell.

“It’s not for the whole county right now and we’re not stopping the first pass in other areas,” he said. “We’re just dedicating some resources to closing some of these areas out so we can redirect those resources.”

In the beginning, they focused on the heaviest-hit areas, but the final pass is based on voting precincts.

“Basically going by what people already know so that we can kind of close each area out as we go,” said Cassell.

Cassell says this pass will involve more observation.

“It goes street by street, you know,” he said. “Then it’s inspected by an inspector and then he declares it clean, then we’re done.”

Officials plan to give plenty of notice to residents so they can be sure to get all the debris to the curb in time.

“We’ll make announcements as we close these precincts and then to which precincts were coming to next,” said Cassell.

This pass is still focusing on lighter debris like tree limbs.

“There’ll probably be some of the stumps and root balls that are another frustration, but that’s another thing that comes in afterward,” he said.

And to help make the process faster …

“Don’t put bag debris in there, or put your fence or some other construction debris. That’s a separate pickup that’s also being done as part of the second pass,” said Cassell.

The deadline is early February for 100% reimbursement by the federal government.

But the county doesn’t expect the work to be done by then.

Then the reimbursement rate will drop down to 75%.

“It’s not going to take a week,” said Cassell. “So we’re probably ending March before we’re done with the whole county.”

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – On Tuesday, Augusta’s Coliseum Authority approved a contract for a hockey team to come to the garden city.

The contract with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) will help form a new team for the first time in more than a decade.

We spoke with officials behind the new arena and a player about what this means moving forward.

Leaders say this is an example of things continuing to move forward for the new James Brown Arena.

Demolition is moving along as leaders say demolition is about 75% of the way finished.

And with the addition of moving forward with professional hockey, leaders say it will be a real return for taxpayers once Augusta’s new addition to the skyline comes to fruition.

Hockey is one step closer to becoming a reality in Augusta.

As a former Augusta Lynx player John Whitwell says he can already imagine what downtown will turn into once the first puck drops.

“You can’t even describe it, how exciting it is when you’ve got, you know, 8 to 10 thousand people just going crazy,” said Whitwell. “As a player, it’s so much fun.”

With the coliseum authority approving the contract to form a new ECHL team, it’s now up to the league to approve the final details.

Leaders behind the construction of the new James Brown Arena say taxpayers are getting one step closer to seeing a real return in their investment.

“That’s 36 extra dates a year that you’ll be able to come down and enjoy the arena, plus that if you make it to the playoffs even further on, you know, more than 36 days,” said Brian Martin, general manager for Facilities OVG.  “So that’s the economic impact for downtown Augusta.”

“Augusta owns this building,” said Brad Usry, Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority vice chair. “This is the people’s building, and so this going to make this building more successful.”

Even without hockey in the equation, Whitwell says bringing ice to the new arena could spark a new love for ice-related activities for Augusta families to enjoy for generations.

“I want to get involved in coaching the kids and, you know, growing the game at a grassroots level,” said Whitwell. “So that, to me, that’s the most exciting thing, is having that, you know, the youth hockey and the figure skating and everything else that comes with a community rink.”

It’s a project a couple more years down the line to fully defrost into the dream Whitwell and many others are excited for.

“When we get to that point where we’ve got, you know, a full building, and everybody excited to be there, and just the energy around the around the building is going to be so much fun, I don’t think I can really describe how it’s going to mean to me,” said Whitwell.

Leaders say the demolition should wrap up by the end of February with work on the foundation of the new area starting in May

Coliseum authority leaders say demolition should be complete by the end of February, with foundation work looking to get started in May.

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Nike Golf continues to treat longtime and new fans of the sport to apparel, accessories, and footwear rooted in both performance and story-telling. The latest example arrives in the form of a Nike Victory Tour 4 Cleat inspired by the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.

In comparison to the ‘prickly’ Roshe Golf 2 prepped for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the newly-surfaced Victory Tour 4 opts for a tamer aesthetic. The leather upper keeps things simple in ‘White’ with profile swooshes interrupting with their ‘Black’ contrast. Support clips around the heel, however, up the ante with their pink all-over print: floral motifs take on the golf cleat’s medial mesh layers, nodding to the Masters Tournament’s location in the process.

Underfoot, Nike Golf’s latest footwear offering features a midsole system reminiscent of many Nike Running models from yesteryear. The cushioning solution is coupled with a semi-exposed FlyPlate (the same carbon fiber stiffening component found in the AlphaFly 3) and a reliable spike/cleat system. Together, each aforementioned component delivers top-notch performance in a stylish package for those hopeful of winning the tournament in Augusta (or one day competing in it).

Enjoy official photos of the golf cleats ahead. The pair should be priced at around $210–the same price as Nike’s Victory Tour 3.

For footwear for the streets and not the green, check out the Air Jordan 4 ‘White Cement’ retro slated for a return in May.

Nike Golf continues to treat longtime and new fans of the sport to apparel, accessories, and footwear rooted in both performance and story-telling. The latest example arrives in the form of a Nike Victory Tour 4 Cleat inspired by the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.